Skip to main content

This week in gaming: wage wars, historical and otherwise

The Order 1886 screenshot 004
Alternate history comes alive this week with the long-anticipated release of The Order: 1886, a cinematic action that appears to be PlayStation 4’s answer to Gears of War. Gamers looking to hew more closely to the established timeline can relish in the enormous battles of Total War: AttilaKirby and the Rainbow Curse and Dead or Alive 5: Last Round round out the week with some of gaming’s simpler pleasures: Vibrantly colorful platforming and scantily-clad anime women beating the crap out of each other.

What will you be playing this week?

Recommended Videos

The Order: 1886

PS4 (February 20)
Set in an alternate history London plagued by bestial humanoids, you are a knight in an order founded by King Arthur to protect humanity against supernatural threats. The Industrial Revolution has accelerated technology by a century, and so you are armed with electricity-spewing weapons and airships in your battle against the darker forces in the world.

Long in development, this cinematic, over-the-shoulder shooter aims to kick off another PlayStation-exclusive action franchise like Uncharted.

Total War: Attila

Windows (February 17)
The year is 395 AD; Rome has grown decadent and weak. Rumors from the east that a new warlord is rising up to unite the Huns sends waves of fear throughout the decrepit empire. This ninth standalone entry in The Creative Assembly’s Total War series of strategy games picks up where Rome II left off.

Despite what the name may imply, you do not play as Attila the Hun in Total War: Attila. Rather, you control one of 56 other factions ranging across the eastern Roman empire while the Hun threat gradually approaches like a rising tide.

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse

Wii U (February 20)
This sequel to Kirby: Canvas Curse for the Nintendo DS continues the control scheme of guiding Kirby, trapped in ball form, around by drawing rainbow lines with the stylus. Up to three other players can join in and help Kirby out in his quest to reverse the curse and save Dreamland.

Like Kirby’s Epic YarnRainbow Curse renders the action in the style of handcrafted materials, this time as clay. It is also compatible with the Kirby, King Dedede, and Meta Knight Amiibo figures, each of which imbue Kirby with special powers.

Dead or Alive 5: Last Round

PS3/PS4/Windows/X360/XB1 (February 17)
The latest iteration of this 3D fighter adds two new characters to Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate‘s roster, bringing the total count up to 34. This long-running series combines fast-paced, combo-driven fighting with lasciviously animated female characters for the ultimate in puerile fantasy.

Last Round utilizes a new “Soft Engine” in the PS4 and Xbox One versions, improving the character rendering to really get the most out of the game’s notorious breast physics.

What else is coming:

  • The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 (Linux, Mac, Windows/Feb. 20) — Picking up where the critically-acclaimed first game left off in 2012, this is a classic point-and-click adventure in a fantasy world from KING Art Games.
  • Q*Bert Rebooted (PS3, PS4, Vita/Feb. 17) — The arcade classic is back, in both original, 2D pixelated form, and a new, 3D version. The former faithfully ports the classic gameplay while the latter infuses it with new characters, power-ups, and mechanics.
  • Hand of Fate (Linux, Mac,Windows, PS4 Vita, XB1/Feb. 17) — In early access since July, this hybrid fuses tabletop deck-building card game mechanics with a roguelike roleplaying game, letting players explore dungeons, collect loot, and build their perfect deck.
Will Fulton
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…
How to revive dead companions in Baldur’s Gate 3
Withers offering services to the player in Baldur's Gate 3.

You're given a good bit of leeway during battles in Baldur's Gate 3 before you or a companion actually bites the dust for good. While in battle, if a teammate does take enough damage to drop, they aren't dead then and there. Instead, they will be downed with a chance to roll every turn to get back up. If they roll successfully three times, the battle ends, or you use another character to pick them up, they're good. If they fail that roll three times, however, they will be completely dead. That can be harsh when you've become attached to certain characters and want to further their stories, so you'll be looking for any way you can to bring them back. Thankfully you do have a few options for reviving companions in Baldur's Gate 3, but just like respeccing, they aren't so obvious.
Pay Withers to bring them back

Withers is a friendly undead you can find in a secret room in the Dank Crypt found inside the Overgrown Ruins. After finding and speaking to him in his sarcophagus, he will offer you various services, one of which is bringing back any dead companions. He won't do this out of the kindness of his heart (probably because it isn't beating) and will charge you a heavy fine of 200 gold to do so. Still, that's a small price to pay to bring back a beloved character. Once paid, that character will appear in your camp where they would normally be, so there's no need to go back to their corpse and find them.
Use a scroll of Revivfy or learn it

Read more
Every video game delay that has happened in 2023 so far
The player skates toward the moon in Skate Story.

Few things feel as inevitable in the video game industry as delays. Ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, game delays have only become more and more common as developers find previously set timelines unrealistic and adjust their release plans accordingly. More than halfway through 2023, we've already seen some notable AAA games like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Skull & Bones, and Pragmata delayed pretty heavily. Because video game release date delays are so common, it can be tough to keep track of every game that has had its launch date shifted in some way.
That's why, just as we did in 2021 and 2022, Digital Trends is rounding up every game delay that's announced throughout 2023. Here are the high-profile ones that have happened so far, listed chronologically by their new intended release dates.
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR (March 16)

As Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is one of the best games for PlayStation VR, The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR, Supermassive Games' PlayStation VR2 successor, is a highly anticipated launch title for the upcoming VR headset. Unfortunately, it will no longer make PlayStation VR2's February 22 launch and will instead be released on March 16. On Twitter, a message from Supermassive Games says this delay will ensure that players "receive the most polished, terrifying experience possible" at release. The game was released on that date to mixed reviews.
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key (March 24)

Read more
Is Remnant 2 cross-platform?
Three characters shoot at a boss in Remnant 2.

Aside from the focus on firearms and integrating some randomly generated environments, the Remnant series sets itself apart from other souls-like games mainly with its focus on co-op. Both titles encourage you to team up with two friends to fight your way through the mutated monsters that await. After so many years of progress in terms of multiplatform games incorporating full cross-platform support, you might assume Remnant 2 will follow suit and let you make a group with anyone regardless of what platform they're on. However, the truth may be a bit more disappointing. Before you make plans with your squad, here's what you need to know about Remnant 2's cross-platform support.
Is Remnant 2 cross-platform?

Unfortunately, Remnant 2 does not have cross-platform play between PS5, Xbox Series X or PC -- and there's no word about it being added in the future.

Read more